Bridge to the Doctoral Degree: University of Puerto Rico to University of Medicin

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案旨在更新博士学位的桥梁：UPR到UMDNJ，它一直在帮助未被充分代表的少数民族（URM）研究生从波多黎各大学马亚格校区（UPR- m）的生物学硕士课程过渡到UMDNJ生物医学科学研究生院（GSBS）的分子生物科学博士课程，皮斯卡塔韦校区，与罗格斯大学，新泽西州立大学（RU）联合提供。UPR-M的生物学硕士课程的学生主要是波多黎各人，但该课程不提供博士学位，为学生在生物医学科学领域的高级研究人员做好准备。然而，UPR-M长期以来一直在其他机构培养优秀的博士候选人，包括UMDNJ-GSBS， Piscataway和RU。为了促进硕士候选人在UPR-M的过渡，这个为期三年的计划被建立，包括在UPR-M的一年课程学习，然后在UMDNJ的两年课程学习和研究。完成该桥梁课程的学生将获得UPR的硕士学位，并以先进的成绩进入UMDNJ-GSBS的博士课程，与现有的umdnj -罗格斯大学管道计划（IMSD奖）对接，该计划支持URM候选人在最初几年的学习中获得博士学位。现在已经是第9个年头了，我们已经招收了19名学生。其中3人已完成博士学位，9人正在攻读硕士或博士学位。在9名在读学生中，1名在UPR-M， 8名在UMDNJ，其中4名目前处于论文研究的高级水平，4名处于资格预审阶段。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal seeks to renew the Bridge to the Doctoral Degree: UPR to UMDNJ, which has been assisting underrepresented minority (URM) graduate students in making the transition from the M.S. Program in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayag|ez Campus (UPR-M) into the Ph.D. Programs in the Molecular Biosciences at UMDNJ-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), Piscataway Campus, offered jointly with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (RU). The M.S. in Biology Program at UPR-M has a student population that is predominantly Puerto Rican, but the Program does not offer a Ph.D. to prepare students for careers as senior investigators in the biomedical sciences. However, UPR-M has a long record of producing excellent candidates for the Ph.D. at other institutions, including at UMDNJ-GSBS, Piscataway, and RU. To facilitate the transition of M.S. candidates at UPR-M, this 3-year Program was established, consisting of one year of course work at UPR-M, followed by 2 years of course work and research at UMDNJ. Students completing this Bridge program receive the M.S. degree from UPR and are admitted with advanced standing into the Ph.D. programs at UMDNJ-GSBS, interfacing with the existing UMDNJ-Rutgers University Pipeline Program (IMSD Award), which supports URM candidates for the Ph.D. in their initial years of study. Now in the 9th year, we have enrolled 19 students in the program. Of these, 3 have completed the Ph.D., and 9 are progressing toward the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Among the 9 continuing students, 1 is at UPR-M and 8 are at UMDNJ, including 4 now at an advanced level of thesis research and 4 at the pre-qualifying exam phase. During the 8 years of the program, 7 students left the program during their first 3 years of study: 1 of these is in a Ph.D. program elsewhere, 2 entered medical school in PR, 1 is pursuing the M.S. at UPR-M, 2 are technical scientists and one is seeking scientific employment. None have left the biomedical sciences. We continue to modify the program to deal with issues of recruitment and selection of appropriate students, preparation at UPR-M, acclimatization during the transfer from UPR-M to UMDNJ, and program flexibility at UMDNJ. Based on the increased success rate of bridge students whose first research experience at UMDNJ preceded M.S. coursework at UPR-M, we propose to make an initial summer of research at UMDNJ as well as individual research at UPR-M integral parts of the program. This program continues to increase opportunities for talented Puerto Rican students at UPR-M, and to increase the number of URM students in the Ph.D. program of UMDNJ and Rutgers, thereby expanding the range of students entering biomedical research careers at the Ph.D. level, and creating a more nurturing environment for URM students at UMDNJ and RU.